Fun Friday Nights

In the past, we use to kick off the weekend with dinner out with friends. Once we all started having kids, the logistics of getting a sitter and leaving the kiddos, on top of the cost of eating out made for more stress than fun. We soon learned that it was more enjoyable and economical to collect at one of our homes, kids in tow and experiment with new recipes.

Last Friday, we fixed Anaheim Shrimp Scampi. Costs of our evening with friends amounted to $20 for 2 lbs of shrimp, spaghetti squash, an avocado and assiago cheese. Adding in the bottle of wine for $8, we fed four adults for $7 each. Our recipe was from George Stella's "Livin' Low Carb" cookbook which was both scrumptious and easy to make. This meal at a restaurant would have easily been $20 a person, a savings of greater than $80 long before you add in the wine and a tip. Culinary nights at home with friends are laid back, fun and frugal and make for a good way to start your weekend.

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